Monday, August 17, 2009

Zesty Scallops topped on Pesto Linguine

Zesty Scallops Pesto Linguine

Hubby went away to play golf today so I decided to make me a yummy lunch... something easy, fast, and delicious. Once again, I looked around in the pantry to see what I had to work with. I noticed that I just had maybe a serving or two of linguine left and decided to put that to use. So here we go~

Here's what you'll need for the pasta:
2 servings of Linguine
Olive Oil
Pesto
Salt

1. Boil Linguine as directed on package.

Here's what you'll need for the Scallops:

5 - 6 frozen scallops, thawed
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 cup Medium chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
Juice from half of lemon

1. While pasta is boiling, add olive oil into a pan with sides on Med High heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until moisture leaves veggies.

2. Add scallops and white wine. Leave scallops still to cook and caramelize. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over all scallops. Remember to not let the scallops over cook. They tend to get tough when that happens.

3. When pasta is ready, drain and immediately add pesto to hot pasta and mix evenly.

4. When pasta is evenly mixed, add to pan and toss with scallop mix.

5. Squeeze more lemon juice over pasta if you like. Top with some cheese and serve!

Miso Ramen with Kimchi Dumplings

Miso Ramen with Kimchi Dumplings

Staying true to my Korean roots, I decided to make an all time Korean favorite~ RAMEN!! Making Miso Ramen takes a ton of time and effort so I'm going to show you an easier way to get the taste minus the time :) If you aren't as lucky as I am to have a Korean grandmother who makes dumplings from scratch, you can always go and purchase frozen ones at the Asian grocery store.

Here's What You'll Need:
1 Package Shin Ramen (Can be found in Asian store)
2 tablespoons Japanese Miso (also at the Asian store)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 Green onion, chopped
1 egg
2 - 3 frozen dumplings

1. Boil the amount of water specified on the ramen package.
2. Add garlic and miso. Stir until miso is dissolved. Add dumplings.
3. Leave dumplings to cook for 5 mins and then add dried ramen noodles with powder packages that are included.
4. Cook until noodles are tender. Add egg.
5. Before serving, top with chopped green onions.

ENJOY!!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Miso Glazed Orange Roughy w/ Vegetable Fried Rice

Miso Orange Roughy

When the husband is away... the wifey will~

cook herself an awesome dinner that he'll be jealous of when he gets home!

LOL Kidding. Partially.

Last night, I marinated 3 Orange Roughy fillets. Once again, you can substitute O.R. with whatever white fish you would like :).(Sorry guys, I know there's been a lot of O.R. on my menu and I promise you that these are the last 3 fillets that we have. So you're safe until our next Costco trip if you're not a fish lover :)Please keep in mind that these fillets need to be marinated overnight to up to 24 hours. I made the mistake of not making the marinate and had to come up with something on whim last night (See Chicken Cordon Bleu).

This recipe is a mixture of TWO miso glaze recipes that I have. One I found online for the Miso glazed cod they serve at Nobu~ the other from my best friend, Heather. I put the two together to come up with this. ENJOY!

Here's what you'll need for the marinate:
1/4 cup sake (I used Korean soju)
1/4 cup mirin (can be found at any Asian store)
4 tablespoons of Japanese Miso paste
3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1. Mix all marinated ingredients into a measuring cup with fork.

2. Spread all over fish in baking dish that has a lid. Make sure fillet is completely covered. Place lid on top and set in fridge over night or up to 24 hours.

3. Put remaining miso reserve in measuring cup in the fridge. You'll need it when its time to prepare the fish.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. At the same time turn on indoor grill.

5. When you're ready to prepare the fish, wipe off all excess miso from fillet gently with your fingers. Place on grill and light brown on both side. Place into a clean baking pan.

6. Bake fish 10-15 mins. Drizzle a little bit of the left over miso marinate on the fish while it is still hot.

What you'll need for the Vegetable Fried Rice:

3 cups of steamed white rice
1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables
3 tablespoons butter
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper

1. Melt butter in a large pan. When hot, throw in frozen vegetables stirring often.

2. Once vegetables look unfrozen and are starting to cook, throw in the steamed rice.

3. Soy sauce to taste. Make sure to stir evenly throughout the rice.

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 (with plenty of left over rice for tomorrow!)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Last night, it took me a while to get dinner ready. Completely my fault for not reading the directions thoroughly before making the dish. So lesson learned! Since what I was originally making needed to be marinated over night, I decided to cook something quick and fast to make up for lost time....

After a quick peek in the fridge to see what I had to work with, I saw that I had already thawed out a small Ziplock of chicken breasts. I was going to use them for my husband's lunch the next day but decided to use them for dinner instead. Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my all time favorites. Who can say "NO" to the tender, baked chicken breast filled with melted cheese and thinly sliced salted meat? Okay... maybe someone who is a vegetarian and lactose intolerant... yeah, them peeps are weird.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 slices of proscuitto or cooked ham
2 slices of Kraft Swiss singles(each cut in half to make 4 pieces)
1 tablespoon of butter
Optional: White rice & grilled vegetables

1. Put each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it reaches about 1/8 of an inch thickness. Remove wrap and throw away.

2. Place slice of proscuitto and slice of cheese in the middle of each chicken breast. Fold up the sides and then roll the chicken breast from top to bottom, securing it with wooden toothpicks.

3. In a medium skillet cook rolls in hot butter over MEDIUM LOW heat for 20 - 25 mins or until they are no longer pink. Turn a quarter turn every 5 minutes or so, so that chicken is browned evenly.

Serves 2

Tell me what you think!

Now, on the menu for tonight *drum roll please* Miso Glazed Orange Roughy!! I'll be back tomorrow with pics and descriptions (:

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Citrus-Parmesan Orange Roughy

Citrus-Parmesan Orange Roughy

Hello All!

Here I am to share another yummy dish with everyone. Although I don't recommend eating orange roughy OFTEN due to the fact that it is a deep water fish that is heavily impacted on over fishing and is even listed on Australia's endangered species list. This is because orange roughies have a very long lifespan (up to 149 years!) and do not reproduce often (they do not reach sexual maturity til they reach 20 years old). They are prized for their light, white meat that people love.

You can substitute the orange roughy with whatever white meat fish you'd like but every now and then, I think it's ok to enjoy a fillet or two :)

This dish has a citrus tang to it with a sweet & salty backdrop from the Parmesan cheese. Topped on top of white rice, it makes a wonderful light lunch or dinner! Like my husband said, "It looks funny... but it tastes REALLY good!". Hopefully you'll like it too!

Here's What You'll Need:
2 orange roughy fillets (1.5 lbs.)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp chopped green onions
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of Pepper
Dash of Paprika
2 servings of white rice

1. Turn on the broiler on your oven and let it pre-heat while prepping the fillets and making the cheese sauce.

2. Butter a baking dish. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice over fillets and let sit for 10 - 15 mins.

3. In small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.

4. Broil fillets 3 - 4 inches under the broiler for 5 - 6 minutes. Remove fish and drain excess liquid. Spoon cheese mixture evenly & spread over fish and return to broiler for another 2 - 3 minutes. Watch closely so the cheese doesn't burn.

5. Remove with spatula and top over white rice. Spoon remaining sauce in bake pan over fish and rice.

Serves 2

Saturday, August 8, 2009

A Leftover Pasta

A Leftover Pasta

My husband and I were enjoying our Saturday afternoon when he requested something light for lunch. We're on a budget for the next few months because we are about to buy a house so I try saving money every way that I can. One of the first things we decided to do is to start eating every meal that we can at home. After looking through a few pasta recipes in the cookbooks that I own and nothing looking appetizing, I decided to just make something with some of the extra foods that I had laying around the house. This dish came out really nice! Kind of like a very light spaghetti... This dish is very garlicky with a light tomato sauce and the chicken gives it a nice kick of protein.

What you'll need:
Olive Oil
1 package of Linguini pasta (I like to use No. 7)
a few mushrooms (4 - 5 white capped ones, chopped)
2 tablespoon minced garlic (from the jar is fine)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp lemon rind (optional)
1/4 large white onion, chopped
1/3 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cooked & herbed chicken breasts chopped to bite size pieces
Salt
Pepper


1. Start boiling 1/3 - 1/2 of the box of Linguini noodles according to the directions on the package. Don't forget to had a couple of teaspoons of salt to the water and to drizzle some Olive Oil into the water. The salt raises the water temp and the olive oil will keep the noodles from clumping together while cooking.

2. After putting the noodles in to cook in the boiling water. Drizzle 2 circle of the pans of Olive Oil into a pan on MED HIGH to HIGH. Combine minced garlic, chopped mushrooms, chopped chicken, oregano, parsley and chopped onions with a little salt and saute until onions become clear and mushrooms lose their moisture. Reduce heat to MEDIUM.

3. Add 1/3 can of tomato paste to mixture and mix thoroughly. Sauce should look like a puree. Once paste is evenly combined, add a little of the chicken broth a little at a time (only to cover the bottom of the pan). Once liquid evaporates do it again with the remaining broth until it also evaporates.

4. By now the noodles should be done. Strain the noodles from the liquid and put Linguini into pan with sauce. Remove pan from heat. Mix together until sauce evenly covers Linguini. Salt and Pepper to taste.

5. Throw some grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving if you like. For a nice summer kick, you can also grate some lemon rind on top before serving.

Makes 3-4 Servings.


If you try out this recipe let me know what you think~ I FEED you for FEEDback!!